How To Paddle Into Big Surf with Kohl Christensen

On a truly epic day on Tavarua this year, Kohl Christensen waited patiently for this absurdly terrifying wave and stroked right into it. Photo: Glaser

There’s a part of every surfer that thinks they want a piece of a 20-footer. Somewhere inside of us, we tell ourselves that we want to taste the unbridled adrenaline that places like Waimea and Maverick’s produce. But in reality, the view from the cliff with a soy mocha in hand is a lot more appealing than actually being in the lineup, dodging waves that want to kill you. Since it turns out that most of us are voyeurs (present company included) when it comes to big-wave surfing, we tapped the shoulder of Kohl Christensen to give us a touch of insight into what it actually feels like to paddle into a 20-footer.

The night before a big swell there’s a lot of anxiety building up inside me. The anxiety I get from thinking about the surf is always worse than actually seeing it first hand. Well, almost always. Everyone gets nervous. That’s just part of it. The trick is keeping that emotion in check and turning it into focus.

Surfing big waves isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. But I’d definitely say that there’s a connection or thread between all of us. Big-wave surfing requires you to work, train, and really want it. But at the end of the day, it’s something you’re almost born with. There’s something in you that differentiates you from the rest of the crew. You either have it or you don’t. But a lot of the time, you’re really not gonna know if you have it or not until you get close to it.

What kind of board you’re riding in big surf really depends on the wave. If you want to use Waimea as an example, I normally ride a 10’0″ out there when it gets to be about 20 feet. You really want to ride a board with a lot of float. Nothing too thin. Most of all, you want to be able to catch the wave early.

It feels like you’re paddling down a hill. You’ll always want to take two or three extra strokes to get into the wave. That’s crucial. There’s gonna be a lot of water, and sometimes a lot of wind, so you want to make sure you’re really in the wave before you stand up. Some days, the waves themselves will generate wind. Basically, when you feel like you’re paddling into the wave and you’re ready to stand up, keep paddling. It’s something everyone figures out the hard way.

It’s all about drawing your line early. As soon as you stand up, you want to pick your line. That’s pretty crucial. Unless you’re Ross Williams or Slater, you’re not going to be looking to get barreled. So find your line early. And most of all, don’t lean too far forward. You really don’t want to pearl on a 20-footer.

Editor’s Note: Please take Kohl’s words as an insight into the mind of a big-wave surfer and an overview of what’s it like to be in such serious conditions. It can take decades to learn to properly handle yourself in dangerous surf. By all means, know your limits, surf with friends, and be safe.

How To Do A Backside Air with Matt Meola

Matt Meola throws a little rotation into the mix. Maybe wait until after you land a straight backside air before trying this at your local break. Photo: Dein

When well-executed, a solid backside air is a thing of pure beauty. Trouble is, there aren’t many of us doing them properly. Maui’s Matt Meola, one of the highest flying young surfers alive, wants to change all that. Give his suggestions a read below, and be sure to thank him when you stomp your first one.

Speed is everything. The faster you go, the higher and farther you go. The problem is being able to control it, because the higher and farther you go, the harder it is to land.

Every waves is different,so you have to be ready to change your bottom turn depending on the section. You usually wanna start your bottom turn mid-face to maintain speed. When you’re doing a standard backside air, you usually won’t do as steep of a bottom turn as you would if you were trying to get inverted and rotate. If you’re launching out of the pocket and off the lip, you can have a bigger bottom turn. If you’re launching off a little whitewater section, the bottom turn should be pretty subtle.

When pumping down the line you wanna stand on your board where you can generate the most speed. Usually that’s with your front foot in its normal position and your back foot between the front and back fins. When you’re about to hit the section, you want to slide your back foot a tiny bit farther back, but not totally on the kick. Chances are you’re gonna slide a bit forward on the board when you’re in the air. If you can land in your normal stance, that’s always good because you’re ready for the rest of the wave.

My favorite spot to project off of is a super steep lip that’s just about to crumble. Those seem to give you a lot more pop than a whitewater ball. If the section is throwing it will launch you in the flats. If you hit it too late, you’ll end up landing out the back of the wave.

When I do a standard backside air with no rotation, I always like to do a backside grab. This will naturally make your knees bend properly and will make the air look much better.

The landing is always different depending on the section you hit. It’s easiest to land on a fluffy white water ball, but in my opinion, that makes the air look boring. I feel like if you’re launching a huge air and can stomp it in the flats, it’s gonna look way sicker. But it’s not easy.

The biggest mistake I see people making is trying airs when the wind is wrong. You should only be trying airs if the wind is blowing in to you, onshore, or no wind at all. If you try an air when the wind is wrong, your board will blow away every time. Also landing the air is a problem a lot of people make. So many people can launch, but when it comes to landing, they bail out. You have to commit and try to pull everything.

How To Sell A Board on Craigslist

Contrast is good when photographing your board. Something like green grass will make the board look whiter than it probably is, which will always help. Photo: Van Swae

Whether it’s an original Steve Lis fish or an ungodly beater, Craigslist has become the definitive destination for buying and selling surfboards. That being said, it’s not always easy selling a board online and there are a few key pillars that can make the difference between a quick sale and having your post lost on the Internet forever. So before you hit “publish” on your next Craigslist post, take a look at our list of Craiglist selling pointers.

Take a Photo: The difference between boards that sell and board that don’t sell on Craigslist often comes down to something as simple as shooting a decent photo. But surprisingly, a hefty percentage of you are posting boards for sale without an image to compliment. Unsurprisingly, these boards will sell about as quickly as Taj will win a title. Keep in mind that when you’re shooting a photo of your board, it doesn’t have to be studio quality, but at the minimum the background should be cleared of clutter. No one wants to see what the inside of your nasty dorm room looks like. So take the board outside in the sun, find a color that contrasts with the color of your board (grass seems to work well), and take a few different shots from different angles. You’re allowed up to four pictures for each post, so get as many different viewpoints as possible.

Keep It Clean: Were you really just gonna pull that sled from your garage, covered in two years of wax and dust, and expect to sell it? We didn’t think so. Before you post your board, take an hour and make it shine. Start by cleaning off the wax and, if the board needs it, do a quick, well-sanded patch job. You don’t want to give the buyer any reason to try and talk you down.

Pick Your Words Carefully: When you label the board you’re selling, ensure that you’ve listed the board’s dimensions in the title. Also, to an extent, the more descriptive you can be the better. You’re not publishing a memoir about the board, but you want to include as much information as you can. Keep in mind that the more you “search optimize” your post with keywords, the more likely the post is to stand out to the right buyer. If you’re selling a fish, include words like swallow tail, retro, the type of conditions that best fit the board and any other adjectives that you can dream up.

Price It Right: If you’re looking to cover rent, you’re going to want to list your sled priced to sell. Think in the two to three hundred range for most shortboards if they’re in decent condition. On the other hand, if you’re holding on to the board Gerry Lopez rode in North Shore and you’re flush with cash, you might want to consider starting at a higher price point and waiting for the right buyer.